Chapter 8: The Other Child
The motel was eight miles away.
Police cars crossed the highway in rain and darkness.
Ray and the others stayed behind.
Noah sat beside Sarah in a patrol vehicle while Deputy Hall spoke with officers over the radio.
The words came through in fragments.
"Pickup moving.""
"Room twelve.""
"Door locked.""
"Child located.""
Then silence.
Finally:
"We have him.""
Noah closed his eyes.
Sarah held him.
But Ray knew from the way the deputy was listening that something was wrong.
"What happened?"" Ray asked.
Deputy Hall lowered the radio.
"They found a second child.""
Noah whispered, "How old?""
"Nine.""
The boy was dehydrated, exhausted, and terrified.
He had been reported missing from another Oklahoma county months earlier.
His name was Eli.
He had been told he was being taken to family.
He never made it.
Ray felt sick.
Curtis hadn't just been exploiting Noah.
There was a system.
A chain.
Someone found vulnerable children.
Someone kept them hidden.
Someone collected money.
Someone created paperwork.
And someone profited.
By midnight, the motel room had become a crime scene.
Grady Vale was arrested trying to leave through a rear stairwell.
Curtis was brought back from the truck stop for questioning.
Vance agreed to cooperate.
Noah sat in a police interview room with Sarah.
He looked around.
"Am I in trouble?""
Sarah's eyes filled.
"No.""
"Are you sure?""
"Absolutely.""
Noah stared at the table.
"I lied to people.""
"You were trying to survive.""
"I told my teacher I was sick.""
Sarah shook her head.
"That wasn't your fault.""
Noah looked at her.
"Did Mom know?""
Sarah paused.
"Know what?""
"That Curtis was bad.""
Nobody answered for several seconds.
Then Sarah said, "I think she knew he wasn't who he said he was.""
Noah looked down.
"I wish she were here.""
Sarah took his hand.
"So do I.""
Meanwhile, Ray stood outside the interview room with Duke.
Duke said quietly, "You realize this is bigger than Curtis.""
Ray nodded.
"Yeah.""
"Federal?""
"Maybe.""
"Then we're done.""
Ray looked at him.
"Done with what?""
"Trying to fix it ourselves.""
Ray nodded.
"I wasn't planning on playing hero.""
Duke smiled faintly.
"Good.""
Ray looked through the glass.
Noah was sitting with Sarah.
He looked exhausted.
But for the first time, nobody was telling him to work.
Nobody was telling him to be quiet.
Nobody was locking a door behind him.
Then the door opened.
Deputy Hall stepped out.
"There's something else.""
Ray frowned.
"What?""
"Grady talked.""
Duke's expression changed.
"What did he say?""
"There's a storage facility outside town.""
"For what?""
"Files.""
Ray stared.
"How many?""
"According to him, years' worth.""
Deputy Hall lowered her voice.
"And one of the names in his notebook is Noah's mother.""
Ray felt the air leave his lungs.
"What about her?""
"Grady claims she discovered the operation before she died.""
Sarah heard that.
She stepped out of the room.
"She knew?""
Deputy Hall nodded.
"She confronted Curtis.""
Noah appeared behind Sarah.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
Deputy Hall knelt.
"She may have been trying to protect you.""
Noah stared at her.
"From Curtis?""
"And others.""
The boy looked down.
Ray asked, "What else did Grady say?""
Deputy Hall hesitated.
"He says Curtis didn't arrange Noah's disappearance.""
Ray's face tightened.
"Then who did?""
She looked directly at Noah.
"He says someone in your family helped.""
Sarah recoiled.
"What?""
Deputy Hall didn't answer.
Noah whispered, "Who?""
The radio on her shoulder crackled.
An officer at the motel had found another document.
A handwritten note.
Ray took one look.
He recognized the name.
Sarah did too.
The note was signed:
Grandma Evelyn.
Noah's grandmother.
Noah stared at it.
"That's impossible.""
Ray looked at Sarah.
"Where is your grandmother tonight?""
Sarah's voice trembled.
"Texas.""
The deputy checked the latest information.
"She left Texas three hours ago.""
Noah slowly looked toward the highway.
"Where is she going?""
Nobody knew.
Then Deputy Hall received another transmission.
She listened.
Her face changed.
"Evelyn Miller is heading toward Oklahoma.""
Ray asked, "Why?""
The deputy lowered the radio.
"She says she wants Noah back.""
May you like
Noah whispered:
"She knows where the blue folder is.""
